Chess is one of the world’s oldest sports, being played by people in Europe from at least the 15th century.
It is played between two players and the logical thinking required in chess has been positively linked to performance in math and music. Learning chess can be easy and there is a lot of room for growth and enjoyment in the sport.
The setup
Chess is played on an eight-by-eight grid of alternating black and white squares. Two sets, one white and one black, of 16 pieces are set up on the back two ranks on opposite sides of the board. The pieces used are two rooks, two knights, two bishops, eight pawns, a queen and a king. Each player controls one of the two colours.
The basics
In chess white always moves first. Players alternate making moves.
Chess is played until either player checkmates his opponent, by placing his opponent’s king under attack and your opponent can’t legally protect his king. In general chess pieces are not able to move over other pieces, either being blocked by their own pieces or being forced to capture an opposing piece.
The king
The king is both the most important and most vulnerable piece on the board. The game of chess is won by placing your opponent’s king under attack, called placing the king in check, and there is no legal way for your opponent to stop the attack, a position called checkmate.
Kings are able to move one square in any direction, vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The king can capture an opposing piece in the same manner as its normal moves. It is never a legal move for you to move your king into check.
The pawns
Pawns can regularly only move one square towards your opponents side of the board. There are two exceptions to the rule. Pawns cant capture pieces directly in front of them, effectively meaning that a pawn has to stop if there is something in front of it.
Pawns capture diagonally one square forward on either side. The second exception is that a pawn is allowed to move two squares forward on its very first move, but this is optional as it can still move a single square.
A pawn that manages to reach the final rank on your opponent’s side of the board is allowed to promote. This pawn becomes any piece of your choice allowing you to get additional major pieces.
The knights
Knights are unique in the game of chess as they are the only pieces allowed to jump over your own and your opponent’s pieces. Knight move in the form of a capital L. The knight moves two squares in any vertical or horizontal direction and then moves one square to either left or right of its previous movement.
Knights can take your opponents pieces that occupy the square it will end on. Knights aren’t allowed to end on the square of a piece of the same colour.
The bishops
Bishops are allowed to move any number of squares diagonally and only have to stop when meeting a friendly piece occupying a square or capturing an opponent’s piece. Bishops are only able to move in straight lines. The bishop is allowed to stop after moving any number of squares. Due to how bishops move they will never occupy a square of the opposite colour it started on.
The rooks
Rooks can move any number of squares horizontally or vertically. Rooks are only allowed to move in straight lines. Rooks capture in the same way they move.
The queen
The queen combines the movement capabilities of both rooks and bishops. She can move any number of squares diagonally, horizontally and vertically always moving in a straight line. The queen is considered the most powerful chess piece.
